In a few days time, I’ll be lining up in the 65-69 category for the Mooloolaba Olympic triathlon (1500m swim, 40km cycle, 10km run)[1]. People in this age category are commonly described as “aging”, “older”, “seniors”, “elders” and, worst of all, “elderly” (though this mostly kicks in at 70). The one thing we are never called is “old”. But this is the only term that makes any sense. Everyone is aging, one year at a time, and a toddler is older than a baby. Senior and elder are similarly relative terms. And “elderly” routinely implies “frail” (a lot of old people are frail, but many more are not.
What accounts for the near-universal squeamishness that surrounds the term “old”? Apart from the obvious fact that you are a bit closer to death, it’s not that bad being old. Even if not everyone can complete a triathlon, most people maintain (self-assessed) good health to age 85 and beyond, In most developed countries, old people can live a reasonably comfortable life without having to work. And on average, that’s reflected in measures of happiness.
Yet, at least in the Anglosphere, old people don’t seem to be happy in political terms. It’s voters over 65 who provide the core support for conservative parties and are most likely to welcome the drift to the far right represented by Trump and his imitators.
The pattern is particularly striking in the UK where the YouGov poll shows the right and far-right leading easily among voters over 65 (37% Tory + 28 % Reform), while gaining essentially no votes from those aged 20-24, where the Tories tie for 5th place with the SNP, behind Labor, Green, Reform and LibDems https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/48794-voting-intention-con-20-lab-46-28-29-feb-2024 [2].Presumably that reflects Brexit, a particularly irresponsible piece of nostalgia politics inflicted mostly by the old on the young.
But it’s the same in the US, Canada, Australia and (though mainly among women) New Zealand. While there has always been a tendency for old people to support the political right, it’s more marked now than it has ever been. And as is particularly evident with MAGA, there’s nothing conservative about this kind of politics. Its primary mode is authoritarian Christian nationalism.
In part, I think this reflects the increasing dominance of culture war issues, where views that were dominant 50 or 60 years ago are now considered unacceptable. Old people whose views haven’t changed in many years are likely to support the right on these issues.
I’d be interested in any thoughts on this.
fn1. Not expecting to do well, thanks to the hottest and stickiest summer I can remember, but I plan to finish.
fn2. A poll last year had the Tories on 1 per cent among young voters.
John Quiggin 
Old is a relative term. The earth is billions of years old but not as old as the sun. Some trees are over one hundred years old but still not the oldest living thing on earth. Turtles are able to live, if left alone, to a ripe old age.
So what does old really mean?
What is needed is a word that means “not young but not old”. My Thesaurus gives the following option for replacing the word old:
aged, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, elderly, experienced, faded, immemorial, obsolete, old fashioned, patriarchal, prehistoric, remote, superannuated, venerable.
You can please yourself but I prefer the word experienced. This word is a warning to those who seek to sideline people just because of their age. Experience allows humans to avoid mistakes of the past and to give patience a chance to pay dividends. We ignore experienced people at our peril. For example, there is a recession in many countries. A lot of young people have never experienced a recessionary period. But older people remember the a Great Recession of 2009 to 2011; and some even remember the long recession period of the 1990s. They all have the lessons of their past to pass on to the young of today.
We are all older but not all of us are experienced in handling life’s hurdles.
Hmmm, seem to have lost a comment or maybe it will appear later.
Basically, I said that I doubt most people will be living healthy to 85 any more. The big Cs are the reason: Climate Change and COVID-19. People aren’t changing themselves or the system fast enough to save the situation.
Its interesting that you interpret the preference oldies have for conservative political positions as reflecting political unhappiness. In terms of general happiness research older people are on the rising portion of the age-related happiness U-curve. Its middle-aged people who are most unhappy. Maybe oldies just don’t want their general state of happiness disturbed and prefer the status quo. Tunnel vision prescriptions by an elite for major reforms of what is essentially a well-functioning and prosperous society may be unattractive to those who are cynical about the reforming left. The US seems to be different – as you remark this is linked to support for evangelical Christianity rather than conservatism. It is difficult for me to rationally connect such support to the policies of Donald Trump. Perhaps it is America looking inwards with revived nationalism associated with a decline in the US’s role in world affairs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/trump-voters-demographics-shift/
Harry Clarke
Perhaps voting power should diminish in inverse proportion to one’s age. Young people are the ones who will have to live in the world left to them. It’s natural to become more interested and involved in politics etc as we age, maybe because without all the distractions of youth the old have nothing better to do.
I am 72 and leave five children to face the warming world, that’s if they can get through the political shenanigans mainly coming from the right. I wish them all good luck, because they are going to need it.